Predictable
by Airame Phantom
Summary: It's Ally's tenth birthday but daddy isn't there. Sometimes she wishes she could see him. Others she wishes he would just leave altogether. But a strange boy shows her only so many things can really hurt her. Absense isn't one of them. Oneshot songfic


A/N: Hello, fans! I hope to see many new faces and some well-known ones! Well, on with it already, evil henchmen! -waits- Oh, right, I still need an evil henchmen. Uhm, just keep reading.**

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**Predictable**

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**_6O9O6O9O6_**

Something isn't right  
I can feel it again feel it again

**_6O9O6O9O6_**

A little girl stood impatiently in the living room of her house. The girl had long, ebony black hair and stunning sapphire-blue eyes. Her clothes were a simple black and purple dress. Her hair was in small pig-tails that soon joined in one pony tail at shoulder length. The bands in her hair were purple too. All around her were many little girls and an occasional boy. In front of the girl was her friend, Lisa, whose hair was blond and just as long as hers. "Listen, Ally," Lisa said, not knowing that Ally was nowhere near listening. The girl looked at her and frowned. "Ally?" she asked again. "Ally, hello?" She snapped her fingers in front of Ally's face. The said girl quickly snapped to attention.

"Huh, what?" she asked.

"I was talking to you," Lisa said. "I was going to say that I think you should go talk to him."

"Talk to who?" Ally asked.

"It's your tenth birthday, Ally, I say it's time to actually talk to boys," Lisa said.

"What are you talking about? Of course I talk to boys!" Ally shot back. Lisa chuckled.

"Really? Then I dare you to go talk to him," Lisa pointed at a black-haired boy to their far left. He was standing, drinking soda from a cup, and talking to a few of his friends. He had blue jeans a black T-shirt. He had large brown eyes that looked almost hazel and golden. The boy smiled at something his friend said and nodded.

"I...uh...I," Ally stammered. She couldn't talk to him! He was the cutest guy she knew! "I can't talk to him!" she said, voicing her thoughts.

"Why not? It's just Steven. And you've been staring at him for nearly ten minutes already. Come on, you've known him since pre-school." Ally looked at the girl. In fact, she wasn't really staring at him. She was more deep in thought. Lisa only smirked broadly. "Come on it's not hard. You go up to him, start a simple conversation with whatever comes to mind, and just keep talking. It's that easy."

"I don't know," Ally said uncertainly.

"He's at your birthday party, Ally, there has to be a reason for that," Lisa said encouragingly.

"His parents know my parents and me," Ally objected.

"Ally Fenton, you are a ten-year-old, 'fraidy cat, who can't even talk to one guy!" Lisa laughed.

That's right. Ally Fenton is the birthday girl's full name. Danny Fenton is her father. She's ten years old today on March 21st. All around her are people she's known for long and short periods of time since school started back in pre-school when she was four. In truth, she didn't like talking to boys. She thought of them as almost animal-like instead of human-like. They were always running around and fighting at school. It wasn't unusual for a boy she knew to come to or leave school with a bleeding nose or lip, or a scraped knee or elbow. It was all normal. But the guy Lisa was daring her to talk to was no ordinary boy. This guy wasn't like all the other guys. Sure, he got into fights and all that, but not over trivial things like stealing a marble or basketball. Steven was more calm. He was like a dormant volcano, ready to give way whenever bothered by a tremor big enough to be an earthquake and shake him from his sleep. If he saw someone he knew being picked on, he helped them. If they picked on him, he'd stand up for himself. But no matter what, he was always willing to talk things out. All in all, he was perfect. Well, he was to Ally anyway.

"Talk to him," Lisa urged. Ally shook her head and looked at her friend helplessly. Lisa sighed and rolled her eyes. Lisa has been Ally's best friend since they were very young. In truth, Lisa's father, Tucker Foley, was almost Ally's uncle. Because her own father was not usually home, Tucker often offered to help her mom with taking care of her. His wife, a woman whom she did not know very well except that her name started with a 'C', was kind and a beauty beyond compare. But Ally would always say her mom could beat Lisa's mom easy in anything. Lisa would only laugh at that. Ally enjoyed being with Lisa. Compared to her, she was nothing. Lisa was pretty, smart, and totally confident. She was like a role-model and feared nothing. Ally adored her. "Okay, look," Lisa proposed then, seeing as Ally still looked very nervous. Lisa scanned around the room and noticed that the bowl of chips where Steven was, was empty. "Look, the chips are all gone. Go into the kitchen and just refill it. While you're filling it up again, talk to him. Understand?"

"Well, that could work..." Ally said uncertainly.

"Trust me," Lisa said, putting a hand on her shoulder. Ally took a deep breath and nodded. She walked towards the kitchen then, making her way past the other guests there. As she made her way closer and closer to the kitchen, she could feel an unsettling sensation in the pit of her stomach. Something was going to happen, she could tell. A disappointing event, she noticed. Ally might be what you can call 'special.' Her mom says that this 'perception' is some sort of third-eye. She called it 'ghost perception' or something like that. Ally always thought it was a type of joke, calling it 'ghost perception', since the family did run on paranormal activity ever since Ally could remember. If she recalled correctly, her grandparents used to be ghost-hunters until they finally retired. They had a lab in the basement, but she was never allowed down there.

Ally entered the kitchen and noticed that her mom was talking on the phone. Inside the kitchen it was more quiet than outside, but still a bit noisy. She couldn't really hear exactly what her mom was saying. Not to mention she was speaking quietly. The black-haired woman wore a black blouse and skirt. Her stockings were purple and went half-way up her shins. She had on black shoes with a purple line going across one side. Her amethyst eyes landed on Ally and she quickly quieted down. "No, listen, just try to come soon, okay?" she said into the receiver. There was a pause as she grasped the phone tightly in her hands. "I know, I know. Just hurry? Party's almost over." Pause. "Bye."

Ally grabbed another bag of chips and put them on the counter. She had her back to her mother now. "He's not coming, is he?" she asked.

**_6O9O6O9O6_**

This isn't the first time  
That you left me waiting  
Sad excuses and false hopes high  
I saw this coming still I don't know why  
I let you in

**_6O9O6O9O6_**

"Sweetie," her mother said. "Your father is a very busy man. But he _will_ come, if my name is Samantha Manson." Daniel Fenton married Sam Manson, as you can probably tell. Ally took on the looks of her mother, but her father's insecurity. Not to mention she took on her father's clumsiness. Luckily, however, she had her mother's sense of calmness. "But he may not be in time of the party," Sam added quietly. "I hope you didn't get your hopes up?"

"I never get my hopes up," Ally replied sourly, taking the bag of chips and beginning to exit the room. "It's not like I'm not used to him not coming to my birthday party. I can't even remember the last time I actually got to spend time with him." Ally smiled bitterly. The smile was sincere, but cold. "Hope is an empty feeling that gives it's followers false salvation."

"Ally, I-" Sam started, but the girl had already gone and vanished into the small crowd. She sighed. "Ally," she murmured and looked over to the door that lead into the lab. All the problems that stupid portal caused. It just wasn't fair. "Please, Danny," she whispered. "Please make it in time."

Out at the party, Ally quietly and unnoticeably made her way to where Steven and two other guys were standing. She stood in front of the table and opened the bag of chips. Everything was going great without him. If he came it would be great, but things were fine the way they were. She hoped she hadn't seem a bit uncaring back there. She loved her father, but some times she wonder if he loved her too. "Don't be silly," she whispered beneath her breath, tipping the bag over the bowl. "Of course he does. Doesn't he?" At the last thought, the bowl suddenly tipped over and fell, dropping along the chips she'd just poured into it. Not to mention it spilled it's contents all over her dress. A small yelp of surprise left her throat as it all happened. She stumbled back and then dropped to her. Better gather all this up for easy clean-up. "Oh man!" she exclaimed.

People all around watched as she nervously began to gather up all the dropped chips. She felt the blood rush to her face as she also felt many gazes upon her. "Here, let me help you with that," came a male voice. It was rough, yet gentle and defiant. She froze at the sight of other hands began to scoop up random chips that had fallen. "We should get this cleaned-up before someone steps on them and they crack, huh?"

Ally's gaze followed the hands to arms, then chest and finally neck and face. The smiling face sent chills zigzagging through her body. "Th-th-thanks," she stammered.

"No problem," Steven said. "You should go get a bag or something. No way anyone'll want to eat this."

"Right," Ally said quickly and stood. She ran into the kitchen again, searched through the bottom cabinets near the one beneath the sink and grabbed a trash bag. Before long she was back in the living room. "Here you go," she said, getting back onto her knees. She opened the bag. It was a good thing not many chips had fallen out. Steven smiled again and helped her scoop up the chips and into the bag. It took only ten minutes to clean it all up, put chips back into the bowl - what remained of the chips, anyway - and getting back to the party. Steven and Ally talked for a long while afterwards. It turned out he was there because he wanted to be, not because his parents told him to. Ally was surprised that Lisa may have been correct about his wanting to be here. Steven also said that a few of his friends were there too so it wasn't weird to be surrounded by girls everywhere since not many guys were present. They were so into the conversation, Ally was disappointed when the time came to cut the cake. Then his friends came to pull him away because of something they'd come across after that. And finally, the time came for everyone to leave. Seven o'clock sharp, everyone was out the door.

"Thank you for coming!" Ally said, seeing everyone out. Lisa walked over to Ally

"Told you it wasn't hard," she said. Ally scowled at her.

"Ally," Steven's voice penetrated Lisa and Ally's silent exchange of angry words. Lisa bit her lip as if saying 'oh my gosh!' and walked off with a quick good-bye.

"Oh, hey, hope you enjoyed yourself," Ally said.

"I did," Steven said. "Just wanted to tell you the party was great. For a birthday party, anyway. And, I guess I'll see you at school."

"Yeah," Ally said. Steven waved and she waved back. Soon enough, everyone was gone. She closed the door and walked back inside. The place was surprisingly clean. There was a few small changes in how it used to look before the party, but everything was normal. She sighed and plopped down on the couch. Her mother came and sat down next to her.

"Had fun?" she asked.

"I guess," Ally said, smiling a forced smile. Sam sighed. Ally looked at her mother. "What's wrong?"

**_6O9O6O9O6_**

I knew it all along  
You're so predictable  
I knew something would go wrong (something's always wrong)  
So you don't have to call  
Or say anything at all  
You're so predictable (so predictable)

**_6O9O6O9O6_**

"Your father called again a while ago," Sam said simply. "He said that something came up and he won't be back until tomorrow at the latest."

Ally suddenly felt anger build up in her chest that was trying to get out. She stood. Her hands were balled up into tight fists.

"Something always comes up, huh?" she said harshly.

"Ally, like I said, your dad is a really busy man, he-"

"There's no excuse, mom! He's missed every birthday I've ever had! He's never here and I never get to spend time with him!" Ally said.

"It's not his fault, Ally."

"It always feels like you guys are hiding something from me. There have been times when he just disappears just like that. Other times he suddenly says he's got stuff to do and leaves quickly and promptly. I've never been with him for more than an hour because of that. When he finally gets home, he's tired and doesn't feel like doing anything. Did you know there are times when I've wished I didn't have a father altogether?"

"Ally!" Sam exclaimed. She stood and looked down at her rebellious daughter. "Don't you ever say that! You hear me?"

"No! It's true!" Ally said. "If I didn't have a dad, I would know not to get my hopes up at all because I know he wouldn't come anyway. But since I do have one I never know when to not expect him to come so I always do. I have gotten my hopes crushed because he doesn't come. I wish, mom, I wish he would just leave! I've learned from all those times before never to expect anything from him!" Ally's eyes glowed a menacing green color, then tears began to form at the corner of her eyes. "I just wish...I just wish he were here right now...I wish he was here..." Sam gasped at the sight of her eyes. But then the gesture was soon gone.Ally's eyes went back to their normal sapphire-blue color. She didn't know what to do so she embraced her daughter tightly.

"Ally, listen to me," she said softly, hoping to calm the girl. Ally was crying now and she couldn't stop the tears. She had never cried before except when she was way younger. She never even cried when her dad couldn't make it to her birthday parties, or graduations from kindergarten. But now here she was, crying into her mother's abdomen, unable to stop the tears from pouring from her eyes. "Your father loves you, sweetie. He loves you a lot and I know he wishes he could be here right now. He does, I promise."

"Then why isn't he?" Ally asked. "Every other person I know has a dad who's always there for them no matter what. There was a time a long while ago when my classmates were asked to write about their fathers in one short paragraph. You want to know what I said, mom? Because I'd only seen him so few a time?" Sam looked at her daughter as Ally pulled away. "I said that my dad was an angel. That he was always going to help people and that's why he was never around. I said that I loved him a lot and that he loved me too even though I didn't see him that much. My other friends wrote things like the fact that their dads took them to camping trips, or vacations, or they took them fishing or played games with them. I didn't have that, mom. I never had that. I've never even been on a vacation or gone on a camping trip. Heck, I've never even played _chess_ with him. Do you know how much that hurts?"

Sam was speechless. "Sweetie, I don't-"

"Forget it," Ally said swiftly, cutting her mom short. She pulled away and wiped away the tears from her eyes. She sniffled and stood up straight. "I'll be in my room. I'd like it if you didn't bother me for a while."

"Would you like-"

"No," Ally cut her Sam short again and began to go up the stairs.

**_6O9O6O9O6_**

So take your empty words your broken promises  
And all the time you stole cause I am done with this  
I can give it away give it away  
I'm doing everything I should of  
And now I'm making a change  
I'm living the day  
I'm giving back what you gave me  
I don't need anything

**_6O9O6O9O6_**

In her room now, Ally swung herself onto her bed and buried her face in a pillow. She screamed as long as she could for as long as she could. Then she lifted her glance and turned onto her side, looking at her computer desk where a picture frame stood. In the picture was her and her father. She was about five at the time. It was a father-daughter thing, supposedly. They were at a park that had long since been abandoned. It was the only real time she'd spent with her father. She remembered it exactly. But it hurt to remember because every time she did she also noticed that even then he always had somewhere to go and left so abruptly. Even then he wasn't really a father, more like an acquaintance. Like Tucker.

Ally sighed and sat up, putting the picture frame down. She didn't want to look at it. She'd made up her mind. As a ten-year-old she was old enough to make her own decisions now. She was old enough to live on her own. Ally groaned. Oh, what was she thinking? She's a ten-year-old! Did that sticks out? She couldn't take care of herself. "But I have to try," she murmured. "There's nothing left for me here. I'll just leave and never come back. That's it, don't even think further than that. I don't need a plan." She stood and ran for her closet. Taking out a duffel bag, she began to fill it with a couple changes of clothes and a few other necessities. She was surprised her mom didn't notice her running into the bathroom.

Ally didn't bother with changing into other clothes. She knew very well how to sneak out the house without her mother noticing. There was a pipe that led from her room on the second floor to the outside. It was very sturdy and could definitely hold her weight. She'd tried it before dozens of times. Her mom wasn't going to be bothering her soon. She knew how to respect her privacy. Besides, what did she have to lose?

Taking a deep breath, Ally tied a long piece of yarn to the strap of the duffel bag. She put it out the window and began to lower it to the ground. After it was on the floor, she dropped the yarn and put her leg out over the windowsill, the other. Grabbing the pipe, she began to climb down slowly. The light in her room was off so her mom wouldn't notice she was gone. _Hopefully,_ Ally thought, _she won't notice 'til I'm gone._

Ally looked down and saw that the floor was about a foot or so from her feet. She dropped down and landed. She grabbed the duffel bag and took out the flashlight she had in there. It would get dark soon. She didn't want to be running around without a flashlight. Where she was going, she had no idea. But first she needed to think this through for awhile. She needed to figure out everything she would do, including where to go. The only place where she seemed to be able to clear her mind was an old park near the edge of town. It was in a run-down neighborhood that had been abandoned a long time ago. Most of the buildings had been knocked down, but the park somehow resisted the effects of erosion and still stood. But it wasn't exactly pretty.

"Every plan starts with an idea," Ally murmured as she began to run. The street lights were on here, but she needed to stick to the shadows.

**_6O9O6O9O6_**

I knew it all along  
You're so predictable  
I knew something would go wrong (something's always wrong)  
So you don't have to call  
Or say anything at all  
You're so predictable (so predictable)

**_6O9O6O9O6_**

Sam was sitting in the living room watching television. Well, she wasn't exactly watching it, more like staring into space. Ally had seemed very upset about Danny not being here for her birthday. She never thought she was this troubled about everything. The last thing she wanted was for her to grow up thinking her father didn't love her enough to make time for her. Sighing, Sam turned off the television. She needed some quiet right about now.

Sam stretched out on the couch and looked up at the ceiling. Then there was what happened to her eyes when she was mad. They had glowed an eerie green like Danny's when he got angry. Could it be that she had ghost powers as well? She and Danny had feared that may happen. But because of his fighting ghosts more than often now, it was hard to actually talk about it. Sam closed her eyes and picture Alice's eyes again. They were definitely glowing green. It wasn't her imagination. "Could it be?" she murmured quietly to herself. The doorbell ringing sent her bolting up into a sitting position and staring at the door. _Who could it be? _she thought, standing up. It could be Danny, but that was unlikely. He said he wouldn't be back for awhile.

Sam grasped the doorknob in her hand and opened the door. Imagine her surprise when a definitely older Danny Fenton stood there, a thermos attached to its strap draped over one shoulder. "Danny!" Sam exclaimed happily, embracing the confused-looking adult.

"Gah!" Danny exclaimed, surprised as he found Sam almost throwing herself at him. If not for the muscle acquired from ghost hunting, he would have been knocked over, not that the muscle actually showed. He was as slim as ever, but not scrawny. He wasn't muscular, more on the wiry side actually. Sam laughed at his yelp of surprise and she let go. Danny smiled. "Well, I feel totally welcome," he laughed.

"You should," Sam told him. "Missed you." She stepped to one side to allow Danny entrance. She closed the door after him. Danny stood in the middle of the living room, surveying every little detail. Sam smiled at his still puzzled look. She crossed her arms and sauntered over to him. "What's wrong?" she asked him.

"The house," he said softly. "It feels empty almost."

"What do you mean?" Sam asked.

"I don't know. Before, when I came late at night or something, the place would always feel...more different. it's hard to explain," Danny said, smiling sheepishly.

"Like more energy?" Sam asked.

"Yes! Exactly!" Danny said, pointing as if he'd just discovered something. Sam frowned and sighed, casting her gaze down. Danny's smile vanished. He looked at Sam with another puzzled expression. He put either hand on either shoulder. "What's wrong?" he asked her softly.

"It's...about Ally," Sam said, rubbing her shoulder nervously.

"Ally!" Danny exclaimed. "I almost forgot! Today's her birthday! She's in her room?"

"Yes, but, Danny-" Sam started. Too late. Danny had dropped the thermos onto the couch and was making his way up the stairs, not bothering to ask if Ally was asleep or something. Sam sighed and merely followed him up. They would find out soon if Ally was awake or not anyway.

Though something was tugging at Danny's gut to turn and run the other way, he opened the door to Ally's room, a smile on his face to finally be able to see his daughetr after fighting ghosts when-

He turned on the lights and his smiled completely vanished. "Ally?" he asked, as if expecting an answer. Sam came up next to him. Danny walked forth a few steps into the room. She wasn't there. The room was empty of any form of energy.

Sam looked around and walked up next to him. The closet was open. A few pieces of clothing littered the floor. The two adults shared an uncertain and bewildered glance when both shot out of the room, hoping to find the little girl. "Ally?" Sam shouted, running to the bathroom. She switched on the lights but it was empty.

"Ally?" Danny's shout emanated from his and Sam's room. Both adults ran back in front of Ally's doorway. "She's not there," he said.

"She's not in her room, or the bathroom, or our room, where else do we have to look?" Sam asked.

"The attic's locked right?" Danny asked.

"Yes," Sam said. "The only place left in the basement, but that's locked too!"

"Where could she be? It's not like she can turn invisible and get past you!" Danny exclaimed, beginning to totally flip out.

"Well, Danny, that's what I wanted to talk to you about," Sam said then.

"What do you mean?" Danny asked, snapping out of his thoughts.

"Ally, we were arguing and her eyes began to glow green," Sam said. "I think she may have ghost powers."

"Sam, that's not possible," Danny stated logically. "If it were, then I would have been able to sense her a long time ago. I don't."

"She's your daughter, Danny, you can't sense her because she's flesh and blood! You couldn't sense your clone Dani either, remember?"

"No, but..." Danny started, but was at a loss of words. Everything was happening way too fast. He didn't know what was going on anymore!

"Your ghost sense only works in the presence of unknown auras. You can't sense Ally because her aura is similar if not exactly the same as yours." Sam was always the voice of logic, but now came the million dollar question.

"But where is she?" Danny said, frustrated.

"I don't know! She may have run away, but she could just have snuck-out in hopes of blowing off some steam," Sam said. "I used to do that too, remember? My parents caught me once, but I kept at it."

"Where would she go if she just simply snuck out?" Danny asked. "Where would you go?"

"Somewhere quiet, maybe? Away from all sorts of human contact? I don't know!" Sam said.

"She left quickly, so she couldn't have had much time to think this out. She's going to have to go to somewhere in which no one will be able to stop her," Danny mused aloud to himself. Ten seconds of silence passed as Danny and Sam both gazed deeply at each other, as if reading each other's thoughts.

Then, suddenly as if on impulse, both of them shout, "Union Park!"

**_6O9O6O9O6_**

Everywhere I go  
Everyone I meet  
Every time I try to fall in love  
They all want to know why I'm so broken

**_6O9O6O9O6_**

Many minutes before, Ally finally slowed to a walk about twenty minutes later. She'd been running all the way over to the other side of the city. It wasn't that far, about ten-fifteen blocks. Okay, so it's a little bit far, but not enough to get her to not come here. She wanted to be alone for little while. Actually, on her way to this place, she'd been getting second thoughts about the whole running away thing. She had decided maybe it wasn't the best idea.

Sighing deeply, Ally walked over and onto the sidewalk of the new neighborhood around her. There were some broken down houses on one side of the street and a cleared plain on the other side. The plain stretched out to about half of a block. The grass was tall in some areas, short in others, and yellow in all areas. But you could tell this place had one had trees and other types of vegetation. From where she walked, Ally could see the old playground poke up high over the grass. A slide that had long since fallen apart - the slide was resting on the ground while the steps to get to the top of the spiral still stood up. The three swings had rusted chains and poles keeping them up. One was broken and lay idly on the floor on one side. The other looked a bit less than okay. There was an old sand box that was filled up with sand and had over-flowed. grass had begun to grown in it because of the accumulation of actual dirt. No to mention the wooden frame around it had begun to chip its red paint and was become rotten from the rain and everything. Ally's eyes finally landed on the only remaining 'tree' in the park. It was really actually just an old trunk with no leaves and many of the branches missing. It looked like a skeleton, casting an eerie shadow on the floor.

A strangely enough ice cold March breeze began to blow and Ally shivered. Judging by how dark it was, it must be around eight or so. She shrugged her shoulders and tugged at the duffel bag around one of her arms. She had taken with her a sweater, but hadn't had time to put it on. She couldn't stand being in that room any longer. It had felt tense and thick with anger and frustration. Now, at least, she felt a bit more at ease. Before she hadn't even been able to think straight. She smiled bitterly again. "Driven by emotions, how strange," she said. She was usually level-headed. Now that she thought back on her reasons for leaving, she thought more of them as childish rebellion.

Ally walked over to the swings and took a seat in one of the working ones. It creaked, but held. She set her duffel bag down on the grassy floor and swung slightly back and forth, keeping her feet on the ground as much as possible. As she did so, she began to looked around the place. It was empty, just as she had imagined. There was no one around. Not a single soul. Ally stopped swinging at the sound of the grass being stepped on. Her ears were very sensitive to all sounds for some reason. Every sound became suddenly magnified. She waited for a second longer, not even breathing. Another soft crackle sent her bolting up onto her feet and spinning towards the sound coming from behind her. In the long grass, she could see a small figure crouching down. It was hardly noticeable what with the darkness and length of the grass. But her vision had become keen as well and she could make out a dull green color.

The temperature seemed to drop suddenly and quickly. She could feel her hands turn to small fists. Whoever this was, they weren't about to leave. She took a small breath and noticed that she could see a blue tint in it. She thought nothing of it. Then the figure began to move again. Her eyes widened as it came a bit closer. Her right foot slid out and turned at a 25 degree angle away from her body. Her knees bent slightly, and her elbows bent so that her fists were at waist level. Her dark hair blew out with another freezing breeze and her eyes locked on the figure, her teeth clenched and knuckles white. The figure suddenly began to move again, this time it was beginning to stand up. Ally's eyes narrowed and she began to calculate her next move. This person could either be a threat or a simple nuisance. Whatever it was, there was no pointing in underestimating him/her.

The first thing that reached Ally's eyes was the figure's glinting smile. He had stood up straight, Ally now being able to see what it was. A boy. A young boy, she noticed. He couldn't be any older than her. He may even be younger. She blinked once, then twice. The grinning boy stood at a simple confident pose. He had dark, short hair and was wearing a baseball cap. His sweater had something written on it, but Ally couldn't make it out. His jeans were blue and torn. "What do you want?" Ally found herself shouting.

"Nothing," he said, stuffing on hand in his pocket. Now that Ally looked carefully, she could see that the boy held something slung over his shoulder with his other hand.

"Why are you here?" she asked him then.

"No reason," the boy said smartly, his smile disappearing.

"That's not an answer," Ally said. "If you're here for no given reason, then you may want to take a hike." Ally stopped talking. The boy looked at her with an incredulous look. Ally went over what she'd just said. She'd sounded harsh and cold.

"Sorry," the boy murmured. "I didn't mean to bother you. Say, you're not a ghost, are you? I've been looking for someone."

"No, I'm not a ghost," Ally said, suddenly feeling dizzy for some reason. The boy sniffed in amusement.

"Really?" he said.

"Why are you asking?" Ally asked then.

The boy held out a hand. Ally and him were yards apart, so she didn't understand what he was trying to do. She only stared at his hand. Then, much to her surprise, it began to glow with some sort of energy that made her feel uneasy. The boy grinned again, seeing her surprised expression. "Ectoplasmic energy," she said. "I'm supposed to meet someone a bit far off from here. But he's known to be unpredictable. He could be anywhere. Since he's not here, I'd better split."

**_6O9O6O9O6_**  
Why am I so cold?  
Why I'm so hard inside?  
Why am I scared?  
What am I afraid of?

**_6O9O6O9O6_**

The boy withdrew his hand and ally looked at him now. "You're a ghost?" she asked. The boy nodded.

"Best be going now," he said. "Don't wanna miss him. Besides, it looks like you're not really in the mood to talk to anyone right now."

"I'm sorry I snapped at you," Ally said quickly. "I didn't mean to." The boy had begun to walk away. He stopped, his back turned to Ally. He smiled again.

"Don't worry 'bout it," he said. "But why did you sound so angry?"

"I'm just a little confused right now," Ally said sadly, looking down at the floor, ashamed.

"Confused as to what to do? Or who to trust?" the boy asked. Ally's attention snapped back to the boy. She looked at him. He half-turned to her so she could see his smiled. "I've been there. I know what must be wrong. I'll say a prayer for you tonight, aye, Ally?"

"How did you..." Ally started. The boy only chuckled softly, almost rhythmically. Ally was suddenly struck with something she knew to either be fear or intimidation.

"I know more than you think," the boy said. "It's my job to know."

"I don't...I don't understand," Ally said, feeling helpless now. The boy turned away from her again.

"What are you so afraid of?" he asked. Ally watched as he seemed to search the sky. "Why are you afraid? There are only certain things that can hurt you in this world, Ally."

"I'm not scared," Ally said. The boy lowered his glance again.

"Intimidation is only a fancy, twelve-letter word for fear," he said softly. He tugged at the bundle hanging over his shoulder and began to walk away again. "I'll be seeing you, Ally. Wish you happy birthday."

Ally blinked several times. But by the time his small speech had registered completely in her mind, the boy had vanished. She blinked again, confused now. What did he mean? She wasn't afraid at all. Was she? The wind began to blow again, her hair gently lifting and falling back around her shoulders and back. She walked towards the swings and sat down again, having more to think about than she had before. Fear and intimidation, just what did he mean? She'd been a bit hesitant as to talking to him, but she'd gotten over it. Besides, he didn't seem much like a threat anyway.

But then there was the fact that he knew her name and that today was her birthday. Not to mention the fact that he said it was his 'job' to know. It was all just so confusing.

* * *

"You stay here," Danny said strictly. Sam gawked at him.

"No way! I'm coming with you!" she said.

"We're not going to argue, Sam!" Danny said. "I have a feeling she's mad at me, not you. I need to talk to her. And I need to find out if she really does have ghost powers. She could be in danger if she does."

Sam frowned and was reluctant, but she nodded in defeat. "Fine," she said. "But you bring her back home safe and sound, Danny."

"I will," Danny said. "I promise." With that said, Danny quickly went ghost, intangible, and phased out the building. if he was right, then Ally would be at Union Park. The only place they actually ever had a chance to talk at when she was younger.

**_6O9O6O9O6_**  
I don't even know  
This story's never had an end  
I've been waiting  
I've been searching  
I've been hoping  
I've been dreaming you would come back

**_6O9O6O9O6_**

Ally now swung again on the swings, looking at the star-filled sky. The moon was nowhere to be seen. "New moon tonight," she said to herself, sighing. "Light with a sharpened edge cut through the black empty space we call sky, beginning the cycle that stays." Ally recalled that small quote from one of her favorite songs. It was 'Light with a Sharpened Edge' by The Used. For some reason this suddenly came into her mind. Along with something else. A part of the song also said that 'all this I'm giving up'. The more she thought about it, the more she noticed that she didn't have much to give up except dreams. Sure, her mother and friends too, but nothing more. She'd dreamt of the perfect reunion for her family. Her father would come home with flowers on her birthday and he would ask her forgiveness for never being there for her and promise her that he would make it up to her. Then she would accept his apology and they would live like a regular family. But she knew deep inside it was just a fairy tale. For all she knew, he may never come back. Ever.

She only dreamt of it.

**_6O9O6O9O6_**

But I know the ending of this story  
You're never coming back  
Never..never..never..never...

**_6O9O6O9O6_**

Despite her best tries, she found herself crying. Soft whimpers escaped her throat and she began to take sudden, large and short breaths. Her eyes closed, trying to keep the tears in. But they wouldn't stop. Her shoulders shook and the wind felt old against her skin. She no longer cared for the cold outside. She thought about the cold inside. "I miss you dad," she whispered breathlessly. "I miss you so much. I miss seeing you. I miss talking to you. I miss just sitting with you. I don't see you much anymore. I miss you **so** _much_."

A warm hand landed on her shoulder and Ally nearly jumped. Instead she stood up quickly and whirled around to face who it was. "Ally," the man said. Ally couldn't believe her eyes. She couldn't believe who she was seeing before her. Her surprise and shock suddenly turned to anger against this man. It turned to anger, frustration, every negative feeling she'd been suppressing for so long.

Her teeth clenched and she balled her hands into fists. Her father stood in front of her now, looking at her with a quizzical look. "What do you want?" she snapped angrily. "Why are you here?"

"I came to look for you," Danny replied, taking note of the anger in her voice. He also took note of the fact that her eyes were narrowed and from them escaped an eerie glow. The gesture, along with it's green color, was soon gone and only an angry expression remained.

"And mom? Where is she?" Ally asked then.

"At home."

"Why did she come?"

"I told her not to," Danny said. "Ally, listen to me, please."

"Oh, sure," Ally said with false cheerfulness. "Listen to you? Listen to what you have to say?"

"Yes, Ally," Danny said. He was going to be heard and she was going to listen.

"About what?" Ally asked then, crossing her arms.

"About everything," Danny replied dryly. "There's something important I need to tell you here and now."

"Important?" Ally asked then. "Like what? You can't make my graduation this year because you got work to do? Or maybe you're going to miss my next birthday? Sure go head, it's not like I expect you to be there."

"Ally, I know you're mad, but that doesn't mean you can talk to me like that. Want it or not, I'm still your father," Danny snapped back at her.

**_6O9O6O9O6_**

I knew it all along  
You're so predictable  
I knew something would go wrong (something's always wrong)  
So you don't have to call  
Or say anything at all  
You're so predictable (so predictable)

**_6O9O6O9O6_**

"It sure doesn't seem like it," Ally retorted softly. The softness of her voice only made Danny a bit more tense. He looked at her dead in the eye.

"We have more important things to talk about," he stated firmly.

"How can anything be more important?" Ally asked loudly. "Dad, you missed my birthday party again for who knows how many times in a row! I barely even see you anymore! Whenever someone asks me about you I don't know what to say. It's like I don't even have a dad anymore. It's like I barely even know you. I can't remember the last time I ever just sat down with you to talk or something. I don't even remember when the last time you attended something important for me was. It's like you were never there for me at all."

Danny was speechless. He looked at his daughter with such sorrow in his eyes. He couldn't believe he'd done this much damage to her. He of all people knows what it's like to feel alone. He once felt that way when he'd gotten his powers. Sam and Tucker were always there for him. But Ally's condition was way more serious that just ghost powers. She lacked a father who would be there no matter what. But he knew he couldn't make that promise. He didn't want her or her mother hurt so he stayed away as much as possible except for some times when he wasn't fighting ghosts. He usually found Ally asleep or not home so he couldn't hang out with her. But he thought it was for her own good. He never thought that he would hurt her even more instead.

"I'm so sorry," Danny said, shaking his head. "Ally, I'm so sorry. I never meant...I never meant to hurt you like that."

"You did," Ally said. "There's nothing you can do about it, I'm afraid. All the time has been lost." She sniffled and looked at him. Maybe she'd gone a little over-board back there. She shouldn't have shouted at him. Sighing, she added, "You're going to take me back home?"

"You're mom's worried and she threatened me with not giving me any cake if I didn't bring you home safe and sound," Danny said. Ally smiled at the joke. She shook her head. "She said maybe you were just trying to blow some steam."

"Halfly," Ally replied truthfully.

"You chose a nice place to come," Danny said sarcastically, looking around.

Ally smiled and chuckled. "This is the first place that came to mind," she said. "I didn't want to go to Lisa's."

"Well, you're going home now," Danny said.

"And that thing you wanted to tell me?" Ally asked then.

Danny hesitated, looking at her, and sighed. "There's something very important I need to tell you about my side of this family. Something that may just have a drastic effect on your life."

"Sounds dangerous," Ally replied. "What is it?"

"A long time ago, I was in an accident in my parents lab, the same lab we have in our basement today. As you know my parents were ghost-hunters and had all these weird inventions. The accident gave me...ghost powers." Ally gawked at him in shock. "Before you say anything, just let me say that I never planed for you to have them. I just-"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa!" Ally said, waving both hands in front of her. "Wait! You're saying I have ghost powers?"

**_6O9O6O9O6_**

Everywhere I go for the rest of my life (so predictable)  
Everyone that I love  
Everyone I care about  
They're all gonna wanna know what's wrong with me (so predictable)  
And I know what it is  
I'm ending this right now..

**_6O9O6O9O6_**

"Your mom and I think so, Ally," Danny said simply. "We don't know for sure. But we can check it out with the scanner."

"Huh?"

"I'll explain later," Danny said. "But, you know, I had to go through the same thing when I was just a few years older than you. The city never found out, of course. But my friends, Tucker and your mother did. My sister too."

"And your parents?"

"Never."

"But weren't you scared of what they may say?"

"Yes, of course. But I didn't really have a choice. Sam and Tuck were there when it happened and Jazz just found out. I didn't have say in it."

"I wouldn't want people to know what's wrong with me. I'd do anything to not have them."

"I would have too. But they were my friends and I trusted them. And Jazz was no exception. She was my sister and kept my secret from even my parents."

"But why didn't you want them to know?"

"Ghost hunters, remember? I didn't know how they would react. I didn't want to find out."

"But I didn't know I had them. We don't know. What then?"

"We'll know once we get home."

"Then what?"

"You can choose whether or not you tell someone about them. It's your choice, Ally."

"But what if they don't accept me?"

"Their loss."

"Dad?"

"Hm?"

"Are you going to leave again?"

"I always wanted ot stay away because I thought it was for the best. But if you also have ghost powers, I'm going to have to teach you how to use them. It may still not be safe for me to be around, but-"

"I can take care of myself."

"Right."

"And dad?"

"Yes?"

"I love you, dad."

"I love you too, Ally."

"One last thing, dad."

"What?"

"Can you please call me Alice? I'm ten now."

"Sure. Alice is a nice name too, I guess."

"Oh, dad, you're so predictable."

* * *

E/N: Yes, Alice is my character also from my other fic 'I Have GhostPowers!' I just decided to do this because I was bored and listening to the totally awesome song called 'Predictable' by Good Charlotte. The song does not belong to me. Plus, I hope it wasn't too sappy at the end. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go see what's Missouri's area code so I'll know when my dad is calling. Good day. 

--Airamé Phantom


End file.
